Turkish Ships To Start Drilling For Oil, Gas Offshore North Cyprus

[Swordsmyth]

In response to the prospect that Ankara might intervene after Thursday's vote, Trump had told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a call "that foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

Egypt also strongly condemned the Turkish vote, saying it amounted to a "flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions on Libya", while Israel, Cyprus and Greece denounced a "dangerous threat to regional stability".

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/turkey-parlia...094740768.html

[Swordsmyth]

https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1213235502876438529

[Swordsmyth]

Libyan deputies voted Saturday for a break in diplomatic relations with Turkey over its controversial agreements with the UN-recognised government that is contested inside the North African country.At an emergency meeting in the eastern city of Benghazi, parliament also urged the international community to withdraw recognition of the Government of National Accord (GNA) which MPs accused of "high treason" because of the maritime and military deals it signed with Ankara in November clearing the way for a Turkish military intervention on its side.

Parliament spokesman Abdallah Bleheq said MPs voted "unanimously" to scrap the accords, which they likened to "a return of colonialism", and to sever ties with Ankara.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/libya-mps-cal...151617971.html

[Swordsmyth]

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkish military units had started moving to Libya to support Fayez al-Serraj's internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), based in Tripoli.Turkey's parliament approved a bill on Thursday that allows for the deployment of troops in Libya to protect Ankara's interests in North Africa and the Mediterranean and to help achieve peace and stability in Libya.
"There will be an operation center (in Libya), there will be a Turkish lieutenant general leading and they will be managing the situation over there. (Turkish soldiers) are gradually moving there right now," Erdogan said in an interview with CNN Turk.

More at: https://www.yahoo.com/news/turkish-m...192633358.html

[Swordsmyth]

The European Union called Tuesday on Turkey to stop its “interference” in conflict-ravaged Libya and appealed to forces fighting in the northern African country to call a ceasefire around the capital, Tripoli.Speaking after talks with the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and Italy in Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Turkey’s decision to deploy troops “is something that we reject and increases our worries about the situation in Libya.”
“The over-riding urgency is to stop the fighting in and around Tripoli,” Borrell said. “Any escalation and also any outside interference will only make the conflict more protracted, bring more misery to ordinary people in Libya, exacerbate divisions in the country and increase the risk of its partition.”

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/eu-seeks-liby...173930249.html

[Swordsmyth]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have called for a ceasefire to end the conflict in Libya.
The two leaders are seen to back rival sides in a conflict dragging in an increasing number of states.
After talks in Istanbul, Mr Erdogan and Mr Putin said the ceasefire should come into force at midnight on Sunday.
The call came amid a warning by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of a Syrian-style civil war in Libya.

More at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51033277

[Swordsmyth]

France, Greece, Egypt and Cyprus on Wednesday declared "null and void" agreements between Ankara and Libya assigning Turkey rights over a vast area of the eastern Mediterranean.A statement issued by the foreign ministers of the four countries -- who met in Cairo -- said the controversial agreements undermined regional stability.
Their Italian counterpart, who also took part in the meeting, did not sign the statement.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/turkey-libya-...214529818.html

[Swordsmyth]

Eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar Thursday said he would not stop military operations against forces loyal to a Tripoli administration, even as he praised a ceasefire initiative by Ankara and Moscow.In a statement read by his spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari, Haftar claimed that a revival of the political process and the country's stability could only be assured by the "eradication of terrorist groups" and the dissolution of militia controlling Tripoli.
An adviser to Haftar later told AFP that Haftar's position did not amount to a rejection of the ceasefire initiative, but rather "conditions that must be fulfilled" ahead of any truce.


Haftar "hailed... President Vladimir Putin's initiative" in his statement Thursday, but stressed that the "efforts of the armed forces in the war against terrorists" would continue, his spokesman said.
"These groups have seized the capital and received the support of some countries and governments who supply them with military equipment, ammunition... and drones," he added.
"These countries also send terrorists all over the world to fight (Haftar's) armed force."

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/libyas-haftar...194049851.html

[Swordsmyth]

Both sides in Libya's conflict are expected Monday in Moscow to sign an agreement on the terms of a ceasefire which went into effect over the weekend, ending nine months of fighting after weeks of international diplomacy.The oil-rich North African country has been wracked by bloody turmoil since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising killed long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with multiple foreign powers now involved.
The UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli had been under attack since last April from forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar, who is based in the east of the country.
Haftar's forces on January 6 captured the strategic coastal city of Sirte.
GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj on Monday called on Libyans to "turn the page on the past, reject discord and to close ranks to move towards stability and peace".
His comments came after a ceasefire began at midnight (Sunday 00:00 local time, Saturday 2200 GMT) in line with a joint call by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Since the start of the offensive against Tripoli, more than 280 civilians and about 2,000 fighters have been killed and 146,000 Libyans displaced, according to the UN.
The truce comes after a diplomatic offensive, led by Ankara and Moscow, which have established themselves as key players in Libya.


Libya's head of High Council of State Khaled al-Mechri said the signing of the agreement in Moscow would pave the way for the revival of the political process.
The head of Russia's contact group to Tripoli, Lev Dengov, said the two rivals will have to determine in the Russian capital "the terms of the future settlement in Libya, including the possibility of signing an agreement on the ceasefire and its details".
He added he did not know if the two men would agree to meet directly.
Haftar will be accompanied by parliament speaker Aguila Salah, while Sarraj will go with speaker Mechri.
According to a Libyan source quoted by the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti, Khalifa Haftar has already arrived in Moscow.
"They will have separate meetings with Russian officials and emissaries of the Turkish delegation, which is cooperating with Russia on this issue. Representatives of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt will probably be present as observers at the talks," said Dengov, quoted by Russian news agencies.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar are also expected to arrive in Moscow on Monday.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/libyan-rivals...020343335.html

[Swordsmyth]

Head the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, Fayez al-Sarraj, and Benghazi-based General Khalifa Haftar who is now warring for control of the capital, were actually in the same building in Moscow for peace talks on Monday — an extremely rare and unlikely event in its own right.

The Putin-sponsored talks follow an agreement between the Russian president and Turkey's Erdogan last week to issue an urgent ceasefire call in Libya (the urgent call designated last Saturday for a pause in fighting), but which was immediately rejected by Haftar, despite Russia being among his political backers.
Monday's talks may have also been awkward for Haftar-Russian ties, given Haftar departed Moscow without signing the agreement for an “unconditional open-ended” ceasefire even after the GNA's Sarraj did.


Likely, Haftar rebuffed the ceasefire — which also would establish a“military commission to determine a contact line” between fighters on the ground — given his Libyan National Army (LNA) has made recent gains into Tripoli. Notably Haftar refused to engage in face to face talks with Sarraj despite being in the same building.
But he did ask for more time to make a final decision, but it's increasingly looking like he'll reject any stoppage in fighting.


Amid Haftar delaying signing the deal, the Russian military is still touting that the Libyan rivals agreed to an "ongoing ceasefire" according to the AFP. Russia has vowed to continue pushing peace efforts.
But the reality will only be tested on the ground, where mortars and missiles continue to fly across the suburbs on the outskirts of Tripoli.
President Erdogan meanwhile used the occasion to slam Haftar, saying Turkey will "teach a lesson" to the LNA leader if attacks resume. Turkey has recently sent troops to bolster the besieged GNA in Tripoli, after having for years provided support in the form of military hardware, including drones.
This opens the potential for the entire situation to spill over into a broader regional proxy war, given also Egypt has condemned Turkish intervention in the war, and has warned it could send its own troops if Ankara and other external actors don't back down.


More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitic...ning-ceasefire

[Swordsmyth]

Turkish aircraft broke an all time record on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, with 91 violations of Greek airspace.




Additionally, as KeepTalkingGreece.com reports, among the 91 Athens FIR violations, 27 were overflights of various islands, including Panagia, Oinousses, Agathonisi, Lipsi, Kalolimnos, and for the first time in years, the Turkish jets flew also over the heavily populated, and tourist-dominated island, Leros, which lies just a few miles from Turkey.

A total of 20 Turkish aircraft, that is 15 fighter jets F-16, 1 AFNS CN-235 electronic warfare aircraft and 4 helicopters conducted the violations. Ten of the Turkish fighter jets were armed.

In six cases the Turkish jets were engaged in so-called “dog fights” with Greek fighter jets.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitic...mes-single-day

[Swordsmyth]

Libyan National Army leader Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter has reiterated his willingness to implement a cease-fire despite not signing it on Jan. 13, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas indicated, Deutsche Welle reported Jan. 16.

https://worldview.stratfor.com/situa...-minister-says

[Swordsmyth]

Greece will block any European peace deal on Libya unless an agreement between the internationally-recognized government in Tripoli and Turkey on maritime borders is scrapped, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned Thursday.Mitsotakis' comments during a TV interview came a day before his scheduled talks with Libyan Gen. Khalifa Hifter, whose forces are battling the Tripoli government. Hifter arrived in Athens late Thursday, and met Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.
European Union-member Greece objects to the maritime border deal between the Tripoli government and Turkey, which ignores Greek sea rights in an area that is thought to contain potentially rich natural gas deposits.
Mitsotakis described the Turkish-Libyan deal as "unacceptable and illegal" in his interview on private Alpha TV, adding that he has conveyed his intentions on blocking a potential peace deal to senior European officials.


“Greece, at the level of a (European Union) summit meeting, will never accept any political solution on Libya that does not include as a precondition the annulment of this agreement,” he said.

“To put it simply, we will use our veto even before the matter reaches the summit, at the level of (EU) foreign ministers,” he said.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/greece-threat...190756517.html

[Swordsmyth]

Greece’s proposal to send forces to observe a fragile truce in Libya could lead to an indirect conflict between Ankara and Athens, analysts told RT, warning that the NATO allies could soon lock horns over the issue.

Nikos Dendias, the Greek foreign minister, announced that his government was willing to deploy forces to the war-torn North African nation in order to monitor the ceasefire between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
The offer was put forward after Dendias met with LNA leader General Khalifa Haftar, who has been fighting forces loyal to Tripoli.
Ankara has thrown its full support behind the GNA, sending troops to back the government and warning Haftar against further military action.
The development, coming just days ahead of a summit in Berlin to discuss the situation in Libya, could have wider geopolitical implications, former Greek diplomat and ambassador Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos argued.

Greece could find itself in an “indirect” conflict with Turkey if Ankara pursues drilling off the coast of Crete, Chrysanthopoulos told RT, noting that newly inked economic agreements between Turkey and the GNA affect Athens’ own economic zone. He predicted that, while Greece’s presence in Libya might escalate tensions, a potential standoff between Athens and Ankara wouldn’t necessarily happen in Libyan territory.


More at: https://www.infowars.com/greek-offer...t-with-turkey/

[Swordsmyth]

In a letter seen by German media, the EU has unveiled cuts in aid to Turkey over illegal gas drilling off Cyprus' coast and military operations in Syria. But Brussels stopped short of ending democracy-promotion projects.

The EU has cut pre-accession aid to Turkey by 75%, according to a letter sent to the European Parliament by EU foreign affairs commissioner Josep Borrell and seen by the Essen-based Funke Media Group.
Turkey will now only receive €168 million ($186 million), of which €150 million will be spent on strengthening democracy and rule of law. The rest is earmarked for rural development.
Borrell justified the cut by saying it was in response to Turkey's decision to stage a military operation in northeastern Syria and conduct unauthorized gas drilling off the coast of Cyprus.

More at: https://www.dw.com/en/eu-cuts-pre-ac...-75/a-52049775

[Swordsmyth]

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusolgu slammed Greece for inviting military commander Khalifa Haftar to Athens last week and said it was trying to sabotage efforts for peace in Libya in a bid to impose its own maritime claims on the country.“Greek efforts to derail the push for peace in Libya are in vain,” Cavusoglu said in a post on Twitter. “The legitimate government of Libya signed a memorandum of understanding with us to protect their rights.”
His comments come ahead of an international conference in Berlin on Sunday that aims to broker an end to a civil war in Libya. Turkey supports the UN-backed government in Tripoli, which is fighting off an advance by Haftar’s forces. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Haftar on Friday.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/turkish-forei...195232309.html

[Swordsmyth]

Given Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar has over the past two years captured the majority of the oil and gas rich country's energy producing regions, he's now playing his biggest card yet to leverage international peace talks in his favor amid a final push for his Libyan National Army (LNA) forces to take Tripoli.

Bloomberg reports Saturday that the Benghazi-based 'rebel' general has now "blocked oil exports at ports under his control, slashing output by more than half and posing a potential setback for an international conference on Sunday that aims to broker an end to a civil war in the OPEC nation."


Haftar's drastic move to block oil exports is likely aimed at torpedoing the Berlin meeting before it even starts, given he's proven intransigent in the face of international pressure for him to halt the ongoing Tripoli offensive — even during the talks hosted by one of his key political backers Vladimir Putin.
Libya's National Oil Corp. (NOC) has now declared Force Majeure, per Bloomberg:

As a result of the blockage of ports in the central and eastern parts of the country, oil output will fall by about 800,000 barrels a day, costing $55 million daily, the National Oil Corp. said in a statement on Saturday. The NOC declared Force Majeure, which can allow Libya, which holds Africa’s largest-proven oil reserves, to legally suspend delivery contracts.

The stoppage also has military implications on the ground, given the GNA's national army relies on the country's oil revenue to purchase weapons via Tripoli's central bank. The NOC has placed sole blame on Haftar for the shutdown, while the LNA has claimed to be listening to the demands of "the people".


Speaking to Bloomberg, European Council on Foreign Relations top official Arturo Varvelli acknowledged the action as bold ploy by Haftar to control Berlin discussions before they commence. “It could be counterproductive as it could make the Europeans, who are the largest consumers of Libyan oil, very upset,” he said.
And S&P Global Platts warns the country's oil sector could enter a "tailspin":

Libya's oil sector could go into a tailspin with two-thirds of its total crude oil production of around 1.20 million b/d at risk after its key oil ports were suspended Saturday by the Libyan National Army...

There's huge potential for fireworks at the conference itself, given international heavyweights on either side of the conflict will be represented.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitic...ace-conference

[Swordsmyth]

Little was expected to come out of Sunday's Germany-hosted Libya peace conference, given several prior ceasefires have failed, and also given Gen. Khalifa Haftar sees his Libyan National Army (LNA) as having the military upper hand on the ground as his offensive against the GNA in Tripoli under Fayez al-Serraj continues.

Predictably, Haftar balked at signing so much as a temporary truce in Berlin, but instead a mere 'ceasefire committee' has been established to reach a pause in fighting. To gain a sense of just how little was accomplished as world leaders — including Erdogan, Putin, Macron, Merkel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — gathered in Berlin, one might note these lines from a Bloombergbriefpost mortem: "Neither Sarraj nor Haftar were in the room for the summit on Sunday, and organizers were careful to ensure they did not cross paths in Berlin. Instead they were holed up for some of the day at separate hotels in the city."
However, world leaders did agree in theory to renew their commitment to a UN arms embargo on all sides of the Libya conflict — though this looks also immediately shaky as well given Turkish parliament recently approved sending military aid and troops to defend Tripoli's GNA, not to mention Syrian mercenaries being shipped into the war. Of course, the moment one side accuses the other of violating the embargo, any theoretical agreement will unravel before it's even enacted. So while the Berlin peace summit was in reality uneventful in impacting the military situation on the ground, there was one entertaining and interesting bright spot from the day. It came as the group of world leaders gathered for a photo op at the meeting's start, and is being dubbed the "Where's Putin?" moment:

'Where's #Putin?' - Group photo delayed as #Merkel, #Macron search for #Russian president pic.twitter.com/IQmOszfWPQ
— Ruptly (@Ruptly) January 19, 2020

Perhaps in unintended acknowledgement of just how crucial Putin's presence was to the proceedings (Russia is a key political backer of Haftar, while on the other side backing the GNA is Erdogan), German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seen for several moments looking around for Putin, while appearing to question those next to her, including Macron, over his whereabouts. President Putin then strolled in fashionably late alongside Italian PM Giuseppe Conte, and the minor "crisis" was averted.
On a more serious note, the dividing lines on Libya were visible early in the proceedings, with Erdogan saying at the start of a meeting with Putin, "To implement the other stages of the political process and solution, Haftar's aggressive stance must come to an end." Erdogan had last week warned he would teach Haftar "a lesson" if he didn't halt the offensive on Tripoli. This after approving sending Turkish national troops to assist in the battle against Haftar.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitic...nference-libya

[Swordsmyth]

Cyprus on Sunday denounced Turkey as a “pirate state" that flouts international law as Turkey's bid to drill for natural gas in waters where Cyprus has economic rights rekindled tensions over energy reserves in the eastern Mediterranean.Cyprus said Turkey was now attempting to drill inside an exploration area, or block, south of the ethnically split Mediterranean island nation that's already licensed to energy companies Eni of Italy and Total of France.
This would be Turkey's fourth such drilling effort since last July when it dispatched a pair or warship-escorted drill ships to the island's west and east. It would also mark the second time a Turkish ship was drilling in a block licensed to Eni and Total.

Overall, the two energy companies hold licenses to carry out a hydrocarbons search in seven of Cyprus' 13 blocks off its south coast. Other companies holding such licenses include ExxonMobil and partner Qatar Petroleum, as well as Texas-based Noble Energy and Israeli partner Delek.
Cyprus said despite emerging energy-based partnerships among the countries in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey has opted to “go down a path of international illegality" of its own accord. It said Turkey has “provocatively ignored” repeated European Union calls to stop its illegal activities.
The EU has also adopted a mechanism to sanction individuals or companies involved in illegal drilling off Cyprus.

Greece's foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday that Turkey's latest action comes on top of numerous violations of international law in the wider region that aim “to serve expansionist aspirations."
The ministry said in a statement that such breaches of international law won't be made legal no matter how many times they're repeated.


More at: https://www.yahoo.com/news/cyprus-bl...122835194.html

[Swordsmyth]

The European Union is eyeing long promised punitive measures against Turkey for its illegal military incursion into northern Syria, as well as its unauthorized natural gas drilling off Cyprus' coast.

Germany's Deutsche Welle reported on Saturday the EU has moved to cut pre-accession aid to Turkey by 75%, citing a letter sent to the European Parliament by the EU foreign affairs commissioner. The Instrument for 'Pre-Accession Assistance' (IPA) is offered in support of reforms in countries in the process of joining the EU, despite previously planned 'fast-tracked' talks for Turkey to join the European bloc stalling significantly after 2016. However, the EU quickly distanced itself the report, which appears to have originated with a leaked draft EU letter:

An EU spokesman on Sunday denied media reports from the previous day that claimed the bloc had agreed to massive new cuts to pre-accession aid to Turkey.
Germany's Funke Media Group had said it saw a letter from the bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, announcing a 75% cut to the funds Ankara receives as a prospective EU member via the "Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)." — DW

It appears the letter was leaked to or seen by the media prematurely, and now EU officials are scrambling to deny it.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitic...urkey-aid-cuts

[Swordsmyth]

It’s safer to ‘migrate’ to the European Union than to fight the Libyan National Army near Tripoli.

At least 17 members of Turkish-backed Syrian armed groups deployed in Libya reportedly threw down arms and fled to Italy via the illegal migration route heading the European Union through Tripoli, controlled by the pro-Turkish Government of National Accord (GNA). According to Al Hadath TV, another group of Turkish proxy fighters fled to Tunisia. Their final goal is also the European Union.

More at: https://southfront.org/turkish-proxi...europe-report/

[Swordsmyth]

With the world's attention focused on the Coronavirus outbreak and to a lesser extent on Trump's impeachment trial, the war in Libya just got a lot more scary in terms of the potential for mass civilian death.

Incredibly, Gen. Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) just threatened to shoot down civilian planes after days ago declaring a 'no fly zone' over Tripoli following increased Turkish intervention. The BBC reports the unambiguous and shocking declaration as follows:

Gen Haftar's spokesman, Ahmad al-Mesmari, said in a statement on Wednesday that "any military or civilian aircraft, regardless of its affiliation, flying over the capital will be destroyed".

In the past days Haftar has accused Turkey, which has lately openly transferred both Turkish national army troops as well as Syrian FSA mercenaries into Tripoli to fight on behalf of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, of using the Libyan capital's only functioning international airport as a military base.
It appears the LNA is saying it will consider even commercial flights as 'fair game' because it's alleging Turkey and the GNA are using civilian aviation in a 'human shield' capacity.

BBC reporting that Haftar's spokesman said in a statement Wednesday that "any military or civilian aircraft, regardless of its affiliation, flying over the capital will be destroyed"

Said spokesman’s utterances often dismissed as bluster by apologists. https://t.co/AdoHqQ7WVx
— Mary Fitzgerald (@MaryFitzger) January 23, 2020

The BBC has further details as follows:

The GNA branded the strikes a "flagrant threat" to the safety of air traffic and a "new violation" of a ceasefire agreed earlier this month.
Gen Haftar's forces did not immediately respond to the accusations, but did say they had shot down a Turkish drone after it took off from the airport.
Mitiga is a former military airbase which has been used by civilian planes since Tripoli's international airport was damaged in fighting in 2014.

Pro-Haftar officials have also charged that Mitiga international airport has become a drone headquarters, and further that foreign troops are disembarking there.
On Wednesday Mitiga airport was forced to suspend all flights for hours after it was rocked by six surface-fired missiles by LNA militia which for months has been laying siege to Tripoli. The LNA said it was targeting foreign drones (operated by Turkey) which have been used to attack its own troops.

#BREAKING #Libya's Haftar threatens to down civilian planes

The spokesperson of warlord Haftar, Al-Mismari, said they declared 'no-fly zone' over the capital Tripoli

Al-Mismari said that they would target any flying objects including passenger planes. pic.twitter.com/L5ZdJylvLF
— EHA News (@eha_news) January 22, 2020

The AFP reported Thursday that after announcing indefinite closure of the airport, the GNA "decided to restore air traffic at Mitiga Airport" according to a statement published on Facebook. However, the status remains anything but clear.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitic...et-no-fly-zone

[Swordsmyth]

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar asked Greece to demilitarize 16 Aegean islands near Turkey he claims were illegally armed, in a move that may exacerbate strains in the countries’ relations.“We expect Greece to act in line with international law and the agreements it has signed,” state-run Anadolu Agency cited Akar as saying in Ankara on Wednesday.

More at: https://www.yahoo.com/news/turkey-sl...080957985.html

[Swordsmyth]

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday accused Turkey of breaching an agreement to halt foreign interference in Libya by sending warships and mercenaries to the North African country.Following a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Macron also described a maritime deal between Turkey and Libya's U.N.-backed government as a “void document" with no legal or political standing.
“These past few days we have seen Turkish warships accompanied by Syrian mercenaries arrive on Libyan soil. This is a serious and explicit infringement of what was agreed upon in Berlin," Macron said, referring to an international summit in the German capital earlier this month.
Earlier Wednesday, the Turkish military said four frigates and a refuelling vessel were in the central Mediterranean, outside Libya's territorial waters, to support NATO operations in the region while also conducting activities to ensure the security of maritime trade routes.


Macron dismissed a maritime deal between Turkey and Sarraj's government last year that would give Turkey and Libya access to an economic zone despite the objections of Greece, Egypt and Cyprus, which lie between the two geographically.
“France supports Greece and Cyprus with regards to the sovereignty in their maritime zones and, along with our European partners, condemns Turkey's intrusions and provocations,” Macron said.
“I must reiterate that the prerequisite for any political solution in Libya is the cancellation of this document,” he added.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/macron-turkey...190314196.html

[Swordsmyth]

Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has welcomed a decision by France to dispatch war frigates to the eastern Mediterranean as a standoff with Turkey over regional energy reserves intensifies.

With tensions between Athens and Ankara causing growing international alarm, Mitsotakis described the vessels as “guarantors of peace”.
“The only way to end differences in the eastern Mediterranean is through international justice,” he told reporters after holding talks in Paris with the French president, Emmanuel Macron. “Greece and France are pursuing a new framework of strategic defence.”


Macron pledged France would step up its strategic bond with Greece, accusing Turkey of not only exacerbating regional tensions but failing to stick to its promised course of action in war-torn Libya.
“I want to express my concerns with regard to the behaviour of Turkey at the moment … we have seen during these last days Turkish warships accompanied by Syrian mercenaries arrive on Libyan soil. This is an explicit and serious infringement of what was agreed [at last week’s peace conference] in Berlin. It’s a broken promise.”
The Gallic-Greek alliance cements what officials in Athens are calling a renewed diplomatic push to counter Turkish belligerence in the Mediterranean.
Greece’s defence minister, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, recently went as far as to warn that armed forces were “examining all scenarios, even that of military engagement” in the face of heightened aggression from Ankara. Rejecting Turkish demands that Greece demilitarise 16 Aegean islands, he accused Turkey of displaying unusually provocative behaviour.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/france-send-w...202814721.html

[Swordsmyth]

The Libyan National Army (LNA) announced that Turkey had deployed two Turkish warships, anti-aircraft missiles and air defense systems to the capital city of Tripoli.

In addition to this accusation, the LNA said the Turkish military sent at least 3,000 Syrian militants to Libya since late December.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitic...vehicles-libya

[vita3]

Trump needs to get stronger with Erdogan. He’s still using Islamic Jihadists for World pain

[Swordsmyth]

Earlier, amid a major offensive by the Syrian Army which liberated wide swathes of southeastern Idlib province, including a key strategic city, Turkey’s Defence Ministry warned that its forces would retaliate “in the strongest way, without hesitation,” if its ‘observation posts’ in the region were attacked.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Friday that Ankara may start a military operation in Idlib if the situation in that troubled region was not immediately resolved.
Speaking in Ankara, Erdogan warned that Turkey would be unable to deal with an influx of Syrian refugees who may try to flee to southern Turkey amid the Syrian Army’s ongoing campaign against terrorist militias in Idlib.
“If [the situation] in Idlib does not return to normal, we will proceed with action. We sincerely want stability in Syria. The political process must be implemented quickly and fairly. We will not shy away from doing whatever it takes to achieve this, including using military force,” Erdogan said.
According to the Turkish president, the situation in Syria was “as important” to Ankara as the situation inside Turkey’s own borders. Erdogan also accused “those who support the Syrian regime” of being “committed to continuing the crisis in Syria.”

More at: https://www.infowars.com/erdogan-thr...-syria-report/

[vita3]

Erdogan needs to be labeled a terroriist.

[vita3]

Trump has twin towers property in Turkey.

Wonder if that’s a factor on why he’s not confronting Erdogan more..?

https://www.trump.com/residential-re...stanbul-turkey